Printer&#39;s ink-fountain.



No. 763,866. PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

J. W. EGGLESTON. PRINTERS INK FOUNTAIN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

J. W. BGGLESTON. PRINTEBS INK FOUNTAIN.

APPLIOATIONIILBD SEPT. 10, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 28, 1904.

' PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. EGGLESTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TOSPENCER STILLVVELL & COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

' PRINTERS INK-FOUNTAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,866, dated June 28,1904.

Application filed September 10, 1903. Serial No. 172,672. (N model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMusNV. EGGLESTON, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPrinters Ink-Fountains, of which the following is a specification. V o

This invention relates to printers ink-foun- 1o tains, and it includescertain improvements in the means for supplying ink to the ordinaryrotary ink-distributing plate which may be summarized as follows: first,the employment in an ink-reservoir of a snugly-fitting springpressedplunger to force the ink supply through an adjustable exit-orifice withmechanical means for removing said plunger when desired to recharge thereservoir; second, a feed-roller intermediatethe' reservoir-exit 2 o andthe inking-plate, said roller being shaped as the frustum of a cone topresent opposite parallel surfaces relatively with the horizontal baseof the ink-reservoir and the inclined sur face presented by theinking-plate; third, 2 5 simple, practical, and economical means ofconstructing the several parts comprising the ink-fountain and thevarious devices for connecting it to a printing-press, together withmeans for positively and accurately adjusting .its relative position andthat of the feed-roller with relation to the inking-platen In thedrawings accompanying this application, Figure l is'a perspectiveelevation of my improved ink-fountain,including a rotary ink- 3 5distributing plate with inking-rollers of the.

usual character disposed thereover, this View showing the generaloperative relative arrangement of the invention in conjunction With aprinting-press. Fig. 2 is a vertical sec- 4 tional view taken centrallythrough Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line w mof Fig. 2 and showing, broken away, the arm for connecting the apparatusto a printing-press; and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken on theline 1 y of Fig. 2, showing the relative arrangement of the ink-feedingexit and roller.

In the figures the numeral'l indicates the ordinary rotaryink-distributing plate of a printingpress, partly broken away, and 5shown as disposed at approximately the usual inclination.

Suitably supported in a manner to be referred to hereinafter above theplate 1 is an,

ink-reservoir 2, having an outlet 3 in its base and a valve 4 adapted toclose or regulate said outlet. The reservoir 2 is preferably cupshapedand the upper portion of its interior Wall produced in smoothcylindrical form,terminating at its lower end in an annular seat 5,located at a point above the base of the reservoir. A cap 6 is adaptedto cover the reservoir and has an annular depending flange 7 to fitsnugly about its wall, screws, as 8, being passed through tapped holestherefor in the 5 flange and wall to securely fasten the cover.

. upon the reservoir.. WVhile only one of said screws 8 is shown in theview presented, it will be readily understood that two or more may beprovided about the circumference of the 7 reservoir, or said cap may besecurely adjusted in .position by other suitable means' The cap 6 is.provided with a central boss or extension, as 9, which is provided witha smooth vertical aperture, through which is loosely passed a threadedstem 1(), bearing an adjustment-nut l1 exterior to the boss 9 to limitits degree of entry within the reservoir and being connected at itsinner end to a pressure-plunger, as 12. Said plunger 12 prefer- 8O ablyconsists ofaflat disk whose circumference corresponds to the interiorhorizontal diameter of the cylindrical portion of the reservoir,

' having a liquid-tight movable relation therewith in the manner of apiston-head within a '5 cylinder. The stem 10 is preferably connected toplunger 12 by screwing into a threaded boss 13 upon the upper surfacethereof.

Placed about stem 10 within the reservoir is a spiral spring 14, bearingat its opposite 9 nut 11.

ends, respectively, against the cap 6 and plunger 12 and being capableof exerting pressure to force said plunger downwardly until the latterbecomes seated upon the annular shoulder 5, or the downward travel ofplunger 12 may be limited to a point anterior to such shoulder by asuitable adjustment of the take-up The reservoir is supported by beingheld with its thickened portion 15 against a vertical arm 16, to whichit is secured by a screw 17 passed through a vertical slot 18 in arm 16,and having a head 19, that bears against opposite sides of said slot.Thus by loosening screw 17 the reservoir may be adjusted vertically uponarm 16. As a means of supporting the reservoir when screw 17 is loosenedand of adjusting its vertical position I tap a vertical hole in thethickened portion 15 and screw therein a vertical rod 20, locking saidrod therein by a set-screw 21, entered laterally into portion 15 andimpinging against the threads on rod 20. The arm 16 is furnished at itsupper end with the upper and lower horizontally-extendingverticallyslotted fingers 22 22, the rod being entered within the slotsthereof and carrying intermediate said fingers a knurled adjustment-nut23. As the upper and lower ends, respectively, of nut 23 are in closerelation to the fingers 22 22, it is obvious that the effect of turningsaid nut in either direction is to move vertically the rod 20, andconsequently the reservoir, in a corresponding direction.

Within a lower extension of the arm 16 is journaled ashaft 2 1,carryingasleeve 25, upon which is mounted a concentric pad orfeedroller, as 26. Because it is desirable that the exit-orifice fromthe reservoir to the feed-roller should be in a horizontal plane, topermit of an even flow of ink over the width of said roller, and becausethe roller, which is disposed intermediate said exit-orifice and theinclined distributing-plate, must present its surface in parallel planesto both said elements, I therefore form the exterior contour offeed-roller 26 as the frustum of a cone, as seen, its surface atopposite points thus being in parallel relation, respectively, with bothsaid divergent planes, and this formation of roller preventing draggingoccurring in the frictional rotation communicated from ,the plate 1 toroller 26. A vertical rod 27 is secured to the arm 16, as by rings orlugs 28 28, and a sleeve member 29, carrying a hanger 30, is adjustablymounted upon said rod, a set-screw 31 serving to secure said sleeve inits adjusted position. The hanger extends at right angles from rod 27and is provided with an elongated vertical slot 32 to receive a bolt 33wherewith to adjustably connect one end of a curved supporting-bracket34:, the opposite end 35 of said bracket being suitably supported to aportion of the frame of the printing-press.

In the operation of my invention, the parts being adjusted as indicatedin Fig. 2 and the reservoir 2 being partly filled with ink, the plunger12 is seen to be pressing under the tension of spring 14 to force asupply through the slotted orifice 3. The rotary plate 1, frictionallyturning the roller 26, causes the latter to receive from said slottedorifice by capillary attraction, aided by the spring-pressure beforereferred to, an even supply of ink over its entire surface. This supplyis then continuously applied to the plate 1 evenly to an extentcorresponding to the width of roller 26, after which it is distributedin the usual manner by the usual inking-rollers.

In order to remove plunger 12 for the purpose of recharging thereservoir, the nut 11 is turned downwardly upon stem 10, thereby lserving to draw the plunger to the upper end of the reservoir, where itcan be easily removed after releasing the cap 6.

The means of adjusting the vertical position of the reservoir relativelyto the roller 26 and the means of vertical and lateral adjustment of theentire apparatus relatively to the printing-press are all clearly shownand will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

Having now described my invention, I declare that what I claim is 1. Thecombination in a printers ink-fountain, of a reservoir having a slottedbase-exit and a valve to regulate same, a spring-pressed plunger toforce ink through said exit, and a feed-roller to receive ink therefrom.

2. In a printers ink-fountain a cylindrical reservoir having abase-outlet, a horizontallydisposed, vertically movable liquid tightplunger therein, a cap for said reservoir having a central orifice,means for securing said cap upon the reservoir, a threaded plungerstemlooesly passed through said orifice, a spring to depress said plunger,and an adjustment-nut upon said stem to withdraw said plunger.

3. In aprinting-press, the combination with a rotary distributing-platedisposed at an inclination, of an ink-reservoir supported above saidplate and having a horizontal outlet, a feed-roller intermediate saidplate and said outlet, and said feed-roller being shaped as the frustumof a cone, to present opposite, parallel adjacent surfaces,respectively, to the outlet and the plate, and means rotatablysupporting said roller.

4:. In a printing-press, the combination with a rotarydistributing-plate, of a reservoir having a slotted outlet and a valveto regulate same, a feed-roller intermediate said plate and reservoir, asupport for said reservoir and IIO roller, and means for adjusting theformer vertically with respect to the latter.

5. In a printing-press, the combination with a rotarydistributing-plate, of a reservoir, a feed-roller intermediate saidplate and reservoir, an upright, Vertically, slotted support, a journalbearing in said support for said roller, a headed adj ustment-serewpassed through said slot into the Wall of the reservoir, and a vertical,threaded rod secured to the reservoir, IO said rod bearing anadjusting-nut With means for preventing its vertical movement.

Signed at New York this 17th day of June,

JAMES WV. EGGLESTON. Witnesses:

L. E. BROYLES, FREDERICK (J. BONNY.

